Red Snakes
by Lil Hawk
Summary: Hogwarts, a school full of suspicion and teenage angst, follow as the "Golden Trio' enter their fourth year, learning not only of more advanced magic, but also who their true friends are. This is my first attempt at a fic.. So.. I hope it's ok!


Harry Potter stared up misty eyed at the large scarlet steam train, which would momentarily take him away from the Dursley family who he had been entrusted to after an evil wizard murdered his parents when he was just a young boy, and to the large majestic castle which to him and many other students at Hogwarts was home. Contrary to popular belief, being a teenager and living with relatives with no real parent supervision is not all it's cracked up to be. In fact it's rather lonely, and damaging, mentally and physically.  
It was well known that Harry is considerably shorter and skinnier than most boys his age, due to severe malnutrition and emotional scarring that stopped him from being able to handle his emotions and trust his peers.  
But naturally, nothing was ever done about it. No one would ever reach out to help one another. This is why Harry loved Hogwarts so much. He had independence, food was not scarce, and he had a proper room and was allowed to shower properly. There was no fear of being hit or punished, well aside from Malfoy and his cronies, and magical mishaps anyway.

Heading to his usual compartment he found his two best friends, Ron Weasly and Hermione Granger, along with Ron's twin brothers Fred and George, and his cute younger sister Ginny. Usually he was invited to stay with them at their home, 'The Burrow' over the holidays, but strangely this year his invite didn't come, but Harry didn't think too much into it.  
"Hey guys, what're we talking about?" He said announcing his presence and giving a broad smile around the compartment.  
"Oh, you know, just the usual Tri wizard tournament, nothing exciting!" Fred… No George… Whichever, Harry was never really too sure, replied, which was met by a bewildered look on Harrys face.

Hermione gave a sigh. "Every few years Hogwarts, Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, the three main wizarding schools in the world, get together and participate in some ungodly, dangerous games, to see which is doing a better job at education their students and preparing them for the world. Honestly Harry, you should really do some reading. You know near on nothing about Hogwarts!" Hermione said in a demeaning tone, no one was ever really sure if she meant to speak like that, sometimes it was rather hurtful, but as typical teenagers they weren't going to mention it.

"It's amazing Harry! You ought to try out!" Ron gushed as his brothers and sister began discussing what had happened in previous years. The rest of the journey was filled with talk of the tournament, the games and the winnings while Hermione immersed herself in a book, clearly uninterested.

So following a rather uneventful train ride and a rather uneventful dinner , where a Barty Crouch was named as the new DADA teacher, Harry and his friends retreated to the same common rooms as the years before and settled into a couch by the fireplace. Hermione reading a muggle book entitled 'Emma' being bothered by Ron and Harry to join their game of exploding snap.  
Hermione never joined their games; it was as if she thought they were beneath her, or like she was ashamed of her two friends. That or she just didn't like fun.

"You two should really start studying! School officially starts tomorrow, and you aren't exactly getting the best grades" Hermione started lecturing.  
"Shut it Hermione, you sound just like my mum" Ron snapped back, causing Hermione to look affronted and leave the room. "Bloody merlin, what's got her knickers in a knot?" Ron continued unsympathetically. Typical boys.

Breakfast the next day was sat in awkward silence, the only noise coming from the groups chattering around them, Hermione holding a grudge from Ron's comments that night, and Ron being completely oblivious to why she was upset. The silence was uncomfortable, and it seemed to be never ending, until an owl flew down, separate to the mornings post and landed in front of Harry, with a small piece of parchment attached to its leg.  
Hermione and Ron looked at it quizzically, before turning to Harry in curiosity.  
Harry shrugged before carefully opening the letter.  
After a moments silence Ron leaned over to try and read over Harry's shoulder, only to have the letter snatched back out of sight.  
"Harry? Is everything ok?" Hermione asked nervously. Harry always shared what was on his mind and what was going on.  
"Nothing, I just need to see Professor Dumbledore before class" He replied, not giving out any details.  
"Well, you'll let us know what this is about right?" Hermione asked again.  
"Yeah, sure, see you in class" Harry said before putting the letter in his bag and heading towards the headmasters gargoyle guarded office.

"Mr Potter!" Dumbledore called out in his wheezy voice "Quick, quick, Cornelius Fudge has requested to speak with you."

There was a twinkle in the headmaster's eye, which always made Harry feel a little uneasy. Then again, when called into your headmasters' office to speak to the minister of magic, you really should be feeling uneasy.  
Together the two walked up the spiral stair case and into the circular room where Cornelius Fudge stood.  
"Minister, I present you Harry Potter" Dumbledore said with a nod of greeting.  
"Yes, yes, Mr Potter, how very nice to meet you! I've heard many stories, from the daily prophet!" The minister began.  
Harry gave a small smile, unsure what to say.  
"Now, not to be blunt" The minister continued "But I do have some questions for you, and I cannot stress how important it is, that you answer them truthfully, why don't you have a seat?"  
Stiffly Harry moved and sat in the only spare seat left in the room, gulping nervously. What questions could he have to ask?  
"So, I hear you know of the infamous Black, Sirius Black. Correct?" Fudge asked, capturing Harry in his steely gaze.  
"Yes, uhh.. I mean, I've heard of him" Harry replied not sure of himself.  
"Good, good, now, so you must have heard that he escaped from Azkaban yes?" Fudge's gaze never leaving Harrys eyes.  
"I heard... I just… Didn't believe it" Harry said, he didn't want to be held responsible for anything that happened, even though it was Harry and his friends who helped him escape the ministry when he appeared at Hogwarts.  
"Well he has. And after a recent incident at the Quidditch World cup, we believe he is responsible. Which led us, at the ministry, to question, just how he manages to… Escape our grasp, time and time again. So, when we heard you were his godson, we thought… we should ask you some questions." His gaze becoming that much harder.  
"So, Mr Potter, any ideas? Anything, you need to tell us?" Fudge pressed on.  
"Uh, no, I…. I had no idea… Sir" Harry faltered, trying to avoid the Ministers eyes, afraid that he would find out what happened at Hogwarts the year before. But to his luck no such thing happened.  
"Very well, that's certainly not what I heard. I'm quite disappointed in you Potter, but nonetheless I'm sorry to have wasted your time, you may leave".  
And with that Harry left the room. Wondering what he had heard, and from who.

"It was Malfoy" Harry declared plonking himself down between his two friends during lunch.  
"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked.  
"No, listen; He was the only one there! Remember he kept making comments about Buckbeak, he knew something was up!" Harry continued.  
"Harry, lets back up a little bit, what did Malfoy do?" Hermione asked, shooting a rather dirty look across the hall to the young, platinum blonde haired boy.  
"Oh…" Harry said, realising his mistake. "Fudge was in Dumbledore's office, asking about Sirius. Malfoy had to have said something!"  
Hermione bit her lip and looked down at her hands resting in her lap "That is a possibility"  
"We need a plan" Harry began, noticing Hermione's questioning look, he added "To make sure it was him."  
"Harry… I'm not so sure that's such a good idea... I mean, they're not making a massive deal about it, why don't we just forget about it? I mean, there's enough going on this year as it is!" Hermione said in a soothing voice.  
"Blimey, guys, you know Beauxbatons and Durmstrang arrive tomorrow, let the games begin!" Ron yelled, apparently paying no attention to the conversation.  
Hermione gave Harry a pointed look and returned back to the notes she was reading. What was she supposed to do?

The rest of the day passed by without much incident, unless you count Neville melting yet another cauldron and receiving another weeks detention cleaning phials with Professor Snape, and Dean shamelessly hitting on Ginny as If there were no tomorrow.

By dinner time the fourth years were burdened with enough homework to last them the rest of the week, and excitement levels had peaked for the arrival of the 'sister' schools the next day. Dumbledore had made the announcement that afternoon classes had been cancelled and that they were to congregate in the courtyards to greet their visitors.  
Ron was wolfing down his meal, as always, even Harry found his eating antics to be sickening but Ron was one of his only friends, who was he to judge?  
Once all of the dishes had been magically cleared from the tables, and before the deserts appeared before the students Professor Dumbledore stood up, clapping his hands and instantaneously capturing the attention of every student and teacher in the great hall.  
"I do have, one last announcement to make this evening" Dumbledore began, intriguing his audience "Regarding our Quidditch tournament here at Hogwarts" Murmurs ran through the crowd "Due to this year's Tri wizard tournament, I have unfortunately had to cancel Quidditch this year" Cries of outrage rang out from the students, particularly those who had previously been on the team. "Because of this, in compensation, I am allowing students to fly in our outdoor grounds, so long as they do not endanger another student. If is a single incident, this privilege will be revoked." And with that Dumbledore sat down and began conversing with Professor McGonagall and the entire student body began talking, rather loudly through mouthfuls of desert.

Harry woke up groggily the next day, after spending the night up completing his homework and formulating his "Catch-Malfoy-Out-Plan" which was coming along surprisingly well. He had remembered back a few years ago, to his second year, when Voldemort was brain washing Ginny into releasing a basilisk on the school, Hermione had concocted a potion that had temporarily allowed Ron and himself to resemble Crabbe and Goyle and sneak into the Slytherin common room and talk to Malfoy where they were able to find out their answers. Malfoy never knew what had happened; it was too easy, if Hermione could remake that potion, and it would be as simple as that, all they had to worry about was getting the hair of a Slytherin student.  
So, with a smug look on his face, Harry dressed and walked down to the great hall to find Hermione, which was done almost instantaneously, she sat in almost the exact same seat for every meal out of habit. Though, not many people changed around anyways.  
"Hey there Hermione, sleep well?" Harry asked as he grabbed a couple pieces of toast.  
"Uhh, no different to usual, but I suppose it was a good night" Hermione replied, Harry was never the one to ask about one's day, not that she particularly minded.  
"That's nice… I kinda have a favour to ask you…" Harry said earnestly.  
"Look, it's too early in the year for you to need me to help with your homework Harry! You should pay more attention in classes!" Hermione replied harshly, sometimes she was sure that all the boys ever wanted her around for was her brains.  
"Oh, no, it's about Malfoy. I have a plan to find out if, or how he was involved!" He began, and without waiting for a reply continued "Do you remember second year? You made that potion… Polyjuice potion… If you made that again we could get into the Slytherin common rooms! Please Hermione… I need your help" Harry pleaded, doing a terrible job at giving her puppy eyes.  
"Harry… I'm just not sure it's a good idea… We have so much to worry about already this year… And do you remember what happened last time? I cannot become a cat again!" Hermione said.  
"I can do this with or without you Hermione. I'd much rather have you by my side. I thought we were friends. I thought we understood each other. I suppose not though." And with that Harry stood and walked to the hall doors, where he ran into Ron. The pair had a brief conversation, which resulted in Ron giving Hermione a dirty look, and the two of them storming out of the hall.


End file.
